Here’s this week’s Say What?

“There are two kinds of light–the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.”
–James Thurber

How many times have you turned on the radio and come to a song that just begged for the rest of the story? It’s always been said that there’s a story behind every song and that music inspires.

Well, inspiration comes in many forms. And even the song writer had to have been inspired to write his music. But, what possessed them to write that line or tell that story? While we can’t get their point of view on what works, we welcome yours in this creative bent on lyrics.

We’ll offer you a verse from a song (all credit given where credit is due), and it may or may not be something you recognize. What we’d like to see is your story behind that verse. What do you think happened to have those lines so poignantly written?

Today’s verse comes from Angels Would Fall performed by Melissa Etheridge:

I’ve crept into your temple
I have slept upon your pew
I’ve dreamed of the divinity
Inside and out of you
I want it more than truth
I can taste it on my breath
I would give my life just for a little death

So I’ll come by and see you again
I’ll be just a very good friend
I will not look upon your face
I will not touch upon your grace
Your ecclesiastic skin

Angels never came down
There’s no one here they want to hang around
But if they knew
If they knew you at all
Then one by one the angels
Angels would fall

Okay, so I was wrong - I was going to post an Inspiration Tag today, but I changed my mind. I promise I’ll post either an Inspiration Tag or a Lyrically Speaking tomorrow!

A Brief Change in Programming

Instead of our normal fare, I wanted to bring something to your attention that you may not think has anything to do with Creativity at first glance. It’s a site for a movie called The Golden Compass coming out in December 2007. Not only does the movie look interesting (at least to me), but there’s an interactive feature that is very creative and, I think, creatively inspiring.

A major aspect of the movie is the concept of Daemons. Each person has a Daemon, which takes the form of an animal, and the few people who don’t are considered mutilated or handicapped. During childhood, the Daemon shifts forms, eventually stabilizing as the person reaches adulthood.

What’s Your Daemon?

The most creative and creatively inspiring section of the site is the area where you can find out what your Daemon is. There are 20 questions to answer and then you are presented with your Daemon.

Sounds like a standard meme, right?
Wrong.
This is where it gets really interesting…

For the 12 days after you discover your Daemon, it can shift based on input from your friends. You are given a couple of options to let your friends know about your Daemon and ask for their input on how they see you: you can put your Daemon into your online Journal or blog, or your can send email to your friends to notify them.

Not only are the aspects of the Daemons sources for creative inspiration, but watching how the Daemon changes over the 12 days it can be influenced can provide inspiration as well.

Gemini and I both found our Daemon’s this morning - and we’d like your input.

ShadowsEdge’s Daemon

Gemini’s Daemon

Today would normally be an Inspiration Tag day, but there was a post in my feeds today that really made me think, so this week’s Inspiration Tag will have to wait a day. Over at Scaffolding for Writers, Lisa posted about how we, everyday, teach our children how not to feel.
I have to agree with her, but I’m posting about it because it applies to Creativity and adults as well. Society and daily routine train us not to be creative.

Routine Kills Creativity

Everyday we get up, go through our morning routine (probably half asleep), go to work. Then we come home and sometime during the evening, we eat dinner and probably turn on the television. Most of our day is spent doing things the way everyone else does them. It’s what’s expected. It’s easy and convenient. And we don’t have to think about it.

The Creativity Muscle

Here’s the problem as I see it. Creativity is like a muscle. If it’s not exercised, it atrophies. If we don’t actively think during the day, there’s no way to exercise our creativity.

Quick and Easy Exercise

It’s hard to find time for physical exercise. Exercising your Creativity muscle can be just as daunting at first glance, but small changes can make all the difference.

Here are a five quick and easy suggestions:

• Take a new or different route to or from work
• Try a new project or craft
• Read something in a genre you don’t usually read
• Play word-association for a few minutes
• Do a random internet search and see where it leads you

And though I doubt I need to say it - the last suggestion would to be to check in here on a regular basis and make use of the prompts and exercises we post.

Have a Cre8tive day!

The idea behind Break Away is to let your mind go and see if it will break away from your normal thought patterns.

The word is “Rain”

Here’s how it works:

1. Write the Break Away Word in the center of a paper (or if you’re lucky - a whiteboard).
2. Write/Draw the first thing that comes to mind when you look at the Break Away Word.
3. Write/Draw the next thing that comes to mind.
4. Continue the process for 10 minutes or until nothing new comes to mind

Let your pen or pencil find its own way, don’t try to force any associations into a pattern.

When you’re done, take a look at your paper/whiteboard. Where did you end up? Are there any connections that surprise you?

Here’s this week’s Say What?

“Knowledge is power, if you know it about the right person.”

–Ethel Mumford

This week we’ll be getting back to our regular posting schedule.? Last week’s schedule was interrupted by national and personal events. We apologize for not letting you know that Your Cre8tivity was going to be dark for several days and hope you find this week’s posts useful and inspiring.

An inspiration tag is just a phrase or two meant to give you a jumpstart on your creative expression. So read the tag below and interpret it in a creative way. There are no limitations on the medium. In fact we’d love to see a visual or listen to an audio interpretation. Admittedly, some of the tags will lend themselves more to a written format than any other. So here it is - Tag! You’re It! Have fun!

S/he/it was shinier than a new pressed coin.

Here’s this week’s Say What?

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”
–Napoleon Bonaparte

How many times have you turned on the radio and come to a song that just begged for the rest of the story? It’s always been said that there’s a story behind every song and that music inspires.

Well, inspiration comes in many forms. And even the song writer had to have been inspired to write his music. But, what possessed them to write that line or tell that story? While we can’t get their point of view on what works, we welcome yours in this creative bent on lyrics.

We’ll offer you a verse from a song (all credit given where credit is due), and it may or may not be something you recognize. What we’d like to see is your story behind that verse. What do you think happened to have those lines so poignantly written?

Today’s verse comes from Lips of an Angel performed by Hinder:

It’s funny that you’re calling me tonight
And, yes, I’ve dreamt of you too
And does he know you’re talking to me
Will it start a fight
No I don’t think she has a clue

Well my girl’s in the next room
Sometimes I wish she was you
I guess we never really moved on
It’s really good to hear your voice say my name
It sounds so sweet
Coming from the lips of an angel
Hearing those words it makes me weak

And I never wanna say goodbye
But girl you make it hard to be faithful
With the lips of an angel